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Lucky escape for British woman after elephant flips her car on safari

The elephant was filmed flipping the car onto its roof. Photo: Barcroft Media

A British teacher seriously injured when an elephant attacked her car in South Africa last month has been discharged from hospital.

Remarkable video shows the elephant flipping the car at Kruger National Park on 30th December last year.

Sarah Brooks, a teacher from Lincolnshire, was airlifted to hospital after the animal's tusks stabbed her thigh, BBC News reported.

A sequence of images from the video shows how the elephant managed to overturn the vehicle:

The animal approaches the vehicle from the front. Credit: Barcroft Media

The car attempts to reverse away from the elephant. Credit: Barcroft Media

The elephant uses its trunk and tusks to push the car onto its side. Credit: Barcroft Media

It begins flipping the car onto the side of the road. Credit: Barcroft Media

The car is turned completely onto its roof. Credit: Barcroft Media

The elephant tramples on what is the underside of the car. At some point its tusk penetrate the woman's thigh. Credit: Barcroft Media

Watch the video here - the attack begins at 1:22 into the footage which contains language some viewers may find offensive

Another male passenger also received less serious injuries.

"Of course they were totally frightened but also thankful that they were alive," Kruger general manager William Mabasa is quoted as saying by the BBC.

"The car is a wreck, if I may put it that way.

"I mean it was completely flattened but fortunately the elephant concentrated on the back of the car, that's why we still have our guests alive now as I speak."

Mbasa said the animal had to be killed because its behaviour had become unpredictable.

"It could have engaged in a fight with other bulls where it was eventually expelled, and when an elephant is in that state it will be very aggressive and I think that's the reason why we had a case like this one," he said.